Brad Davis is president of Industrial Woodworking Corporation in Zeeland, but he says he’s first and foremost a designer. He’s designed and redesigned a lot of office and residential furniture, but says these days he’s most excited about the furniture he’s designing under the Knú brand for hospitals. La-Z-Boy Contract Furniture purchased the Knu brand at NeoCon 2011, but it’s all still designed, developed and manufactured at IWC.

Industrial designer Tom Newhouse has been committed to environmentally sensitive design for 40 years — long before the word “sustainability” was coined. Committed to “walking the talk,” Newhouse designed and constructed his own passive solar, earth-sheltered home and studio on Grand Rapids’ west side when he was only 28. He’s been driving hybrids since they came on the market, but is more proud of the fact that his commute to the office is 13 stairs. Newhouse is a frontrunner in West Michigan’s green movement in the areas of office furniture, LED lighting, kitchen cabinetry and appliances.

Joseph Jeup is a craftsman-turned-designer of heirloom-quality modern residential furnishings. About 90 percent of Joseph Jeup Inc.’s made-to-order pieces are purchased for executive homes (think the wealthiest 1 percent). The rest are for lobbies and VIP suites at upscale hotels such as the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons. Many of Jeup’s past designs have been for private labels. This year, he’s expanding his own line as a way to stabilize workflow at his manufacturing facility near the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Working with MOPs for free doesn’t sound like gratifying work. However, what Jesper Dinesen, owner of the web development firm <engine/>, did for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) is a far cry from scrubbing floors.